Statoil's First Tanzania Gas May Take a Decade

Norway’s Statoil has said that it will be another seven to ten years before the company produces its first commercial gas in Tanzania.  

It would take years for the facilities to be built because there is no infrastructure in the area which would allow production to take place, East African Business Week has reported.

Statoil has so far found total of 15 to 17 trillion cubic feet in its four wells, Statoil's Head of Communications, Geneviene Kasanga said.

Tanzania sees natural-gas reserves more than doubling by early 2015 from the 40 trillion cubic feet discovered by oil and gas companies, as the country prepares to offer new exploration blocks as early as September, this year, East African Business Week said.

Offshore Tanzania may hold as much as 17 trillion cubic feet of natural gas considering recent discoveries there, Statoil has said.